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Information about Davis

Welcome to Davis

The University of California, Davis is the third largest of the ten campuses of the University of California system. UC Davis presents a congenial atmosphere for living and study on its beautiful 5,300 acre campus. Over 33,000 students are enrolled at the UC Davis campus; about 7,500 of these are in graduate or professional programs.

The city of Davis is located in California's Sacramento Valley, approximately 15 miles west of Sacramento. The relatively flat terrain has allowed Davis to become the "City of Bicycles" with over 50 miles of bicycling trails. Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountains are a two hour drive to the east, and offer hiking, snow boarding, skiing, and other outdoor sports. The numerous cultural attractions of the San Francisco Bay area are just over an hour to the southwest, and the beautiful Napa Valley wine region is only 50 miles from Davis. The campus and the community of Davis also feature frequent concerts, art exhibits, lectures, films and theatrical performances, including many at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. The Vacaville Premium Factory Outlets are located about 20 minutes west of the campus.

Transportation

Air: Davis is located approximately 30 minutes from the Sacramento Airport (SMF), and 90 minutes from the Oakland (OAK) or San Francisco (SFO) airports. Transportation options from all three airports include a rental car, taxi, or airport shuttle service.

Connecting to Amtrack:From the Oakland or San Francisco airports you also have the option of using BART to get to an Amtrack train station, and taking the train to Davis. To take the train from SFO, board the BART train in the airport and take it to Richmond station, where you can transfer to Amtrak. To take the train from OAK, catch the AirBART bus in the airport. This bus takes you to the Oakland Coliseum BART station. From here, take BART to Richmond station, where you can transfer to Amtrak.

Train or Bus: Amtrack travels through Davis, with the Davis station located about .25 mile from campus. Greyhound also offers service to Davis.

Davis Buses: Each day, Davis residents ride buses to get to destinations throughout the City. Many riders are students going to/from UCD, but the system is also used extensively for trips to places such as downtown, junior and senior high schools, library, hospital, neighborhood shopping centers, medical offices, senior center, theaters, and the Farmers’ Market. Buses serve these locations every weekday from 7am-11pm, and the weekend from 9am-6pm. Buses run more frequently during the UCD academic year when ridership is higher, and less frequently during the summer and breaks. You can pick up a printed schedule at most public buildings or use the Unitrans website to get more details. Anyone can ride Unitrans for one dollar cash fare, and many types of prepaid discounted tickets and passes are available.

Car: Davis is conveniently located on Interstate 80, about 15 miles west of Sacramento. It is helpful to use the Visitor Center's map to locate campus buildings and nearby parking prior to your arrival. Parking is restricted on the core of campus, and parking lots around the perimeter of the campus have meters and permit dispensers offering daily parking permits using cash or credit card.

Bicycle Rentals: The UC Davis campus, with its 5,300 acres, is one of the largest campuses in the system. A bicycle can be a handy way to speed your travels around campus, and they're available to rent on campus from the Bike Barn. Located in downtown Davis, Ken's Bike & Ski also offers bike rentals on a weekly basis, with extended business hours. Some hotels have bikes for use as well. The Davis bike map is helpful for exploring Davis.

Hotels

There are a number of Davis hotels that visitors to the campus usually stay in: